Actuating device for a door lock with a hinged handle, especially for a vehicle lock

Abstract

An actuator for a vehicle door lock has an exterior handle with a flap and an inner support on which the flap is pivotally supported. The flap has stays with connecting points penetrating an opening in the vehicle door. A first connecting point has a pivot pin and a pivot seat. When inserting the pivot pin into the pivot seat, the handle is in an angular position relative to its final fastening position. The pivot seat has an inner shoulder engaged by a radial projection of the pivot pin for axially securing the pivot pin. The second connecting point has a first part on the handle and a second part on the flap. The handle is rotated back from the angular position until the first and second parts of the second connecting point are radially aligned. They are then connected to one another and the final fastening position of the handle is determined.

What is claimed is:  
     
       1. An actuating device for a vehicle door lock, comprising: 
       a hinged handle arranged on an outer side of a vehicle door and having two ends;  
       a support connectable at an inner side of the vehicle door behind an outer sheet metal of the vehicle door, wherein the  
       support comprises a bearing axle extending substantially parallel to a door plane of the vehicle door;  
       a flap pivotally supported on the bearing axle, wherein the flap has two connecting points for the two ends of the handle positioned at the outer side of the vehicle door, wherein the flap and the handle connected thereto form a single component so as to pivot together;  
       wherein the flap has stays in the area of the two connecting points and the stays penetrate an opening in the outer sheet metal of the vehicle door;  
       wherein a first one of the connecting points is provided on the first stay and is comprised of a rotary bearing having a pivot pin and a pivot seat;  
       wherein the pivot pin and the pivot seat define a pivot axis extending substantially perpendicularly to the door plane, wherein the pivot axis defines an insertion direction of an insertion movement of the pivot pin into the pivot seat;  
       wherein, during the insertion movement of the pivot pin into the pivot seat, the handle is positioned in an angular position at an angle of rotation relative to a final fastening position of the handle on the flap;  
       wherein the free end of the pivot pin has at least one radial projection and the pivot seat has an opening correlated with the at least one radial projection, wherein the opening is a passage for the at least one radial projection during insertion movement of the pivot pin into the pivot seat;  
       wherein the pivot seat, viewed in the insertion direction, has behind the opening an inner shoulder extending transversely to the insertion direction;  
       wherein the inner shoulder is engaged from behind by the at least one radial projection of the pivot pin and secures the pivot pin and the pivot seat axially non-detachably;  
       wherein a second one of the connecting points is provided on the second stay and is comprised of a first part provided on the handle and a second part provided on the flap;  
       wherein the handle is rotated back about a return angle from the angular position on the outer side of the vehicle door in the rotary bearing to such an extent that the first and second parts of the second connecting point are in a radially aligned position with one another;  
       and wherein the first and second parts of the second connecting point are connected to one another in the radially aligned position and determine the final fastening position of the handle on the flap.  
     
     
       2. The actuating device according to  claim 1 , further comprising a fork having two fork legs and a fork bottom connecting the fork legs, wherein opposite the fork bottom a fork opening is defined between the two fork legs and wherein the fork bottom provides the pivot seat, wherein a free space before the fork opening serves as a passage for the at least one radial projection during insertion of the pivot pin into the pivot seat until the at least one radial projection reaches a point axially behind the fork opening, wherein the handle positioned on the outer side of the vehicle door carries out a displacement movement until the pivot pin is inserted into the fork and until the at least one radial projection engages behind at least one of the two fork legs, wherein the at least one of the two fork legs then forms the inner shoulder of the pivot seat. 
     
     
       3. The actuating device according to  claim 2 , wherein the fork extends substantially parallel to the door plane and the fork opening is facing away from the second connecting point, wherein the pivot pin during the displacement movement is moved in the fork toward the second connecting-point. 
     
     
       4. The actuating device according to  claim 1 , wherein the at least one radial projection and the opening correlated with the at least one radial projection form two complementary closing halves of an adjusting connection, wherein an adjusting movement of the two closing halves has a-movement sequence comprised of a first movement phase and a second movement phase, wherein the first movement phase is the insertion movement of the pivot pin and the pivot seat. 
     
     
       5. The actuating device according to  claim 4 , comprising a key hole opening with a narrow opening area and a wide opening area, wherein the narrow opening area forms the pivot seat while the wide opening area is the passage for the at least one radial projection of the pivot pin, wherein the second movement phase is a displacement of the pin from the wide opening area into the narrow opening area. 
     
     
       6. The actuating device according to  claim 5 , wherein the displacement is linear and wherein the narrow opening area is closer to the second connecting point than the wide opening area. 
     
     
       7. The actuating device according to  claim 6 , comprising guide means for defining the final fastening position, wherein, during the insertion movement of the pivot pin, during the displacement of the pivot pin in the opening, or during insertion movement and displacement of the pivot pin, the handle is in the angular position relative to the final fastening position on the vehicle door, wherein the guide means release the handle for rotation only after completion of the adjusting movement. 
     
     
       8. The actuating device according to  claim 7 , wherein the guide means are arranged between the handle and the support or between the handle and the flap. 
     
     
       9. The actuating device according to  claim 7 , wherein the guide means are comprised of outer contours of the key hole opening and the pivot pin or the key hole opening and the at least one radial projection of the pivot pin. 
     
     
       10. The actuating device according to  claim 1 , wherein the at least one radial projection on the pivot pin is a pin head provided at an end of the pivot pin of and widened relative to the pivot pin. 
     
     
       11. The actuating device according to  claim 10 , wherein the pin head substantially has radial symmetry relative to the axis of the pivot pin. 
     
     
       12. The actuating device according to  claim 4 , wherein the passage for the at least one projection is comprised of a radially widened portion of the pivot seat and wherein the radially widened portion matches the outer contour of the at least one radial projection, wherein, in the final fastening position of the handle, the contour profile of the at least one radial projection carries out a rotation relative to the radially widened portion about the return angle of the handle for the radial alignment of the first and second parts of the second connecting point, wherein the rotation at the same time is the second movement phase of the adjusting movement. 
     
     
       13. The actuating device according to  claim 1 , wherein at least one portion of the stay of the first connecting point is a fixed component of the handle and forms a continuous handle/stay combination with the handle. 
     
     
       14. The actuating device according to  claim 13 , wherein the stay supports the pivot pin on a free end of the stay, wherein the stay, for mounting the handle on the flap, is insertable from the outer side of the vehicle door through the opening in the outer sheet metal of the vehicle door to the inner side of the vehicle door. 
     
     
       15. The actuating device according to  claim 1 , wherein at least one portion of the stay of the second connecting point is a fixed component of the flap and forms an asymmetric flap component, wherein, after attachment of the support on the inner side of the door, the at least one stay portion of the asymmetric flap component, at least in a folded-out position, reaches with the first part of the second connecting point provided thereon to the outer side of the door. 
     
     
       16. The actuating device according to  claim 15 , wherein in a folded-in position of the hinged handle, defining a rest position of the hinged handle, the second connecting point reaches the inner side of the vehicle door. 
     
     
       17. The actuating device according to  claim 16 , wherein the support, adjacent to a location where the second connecting point is accessible in the folded-out position from the outer side of the vehicle door, has a mounting array for at least one further functional member, wherein the attachment of the at least one functional member is carried out from the inner side of the vehicle door, and wherein the functional members, after attachment, make the second connecting point inaccessible from the outer side of the vehicle door. 
     
     
       18. The actuating device according to  claim 17 , wherein the functional member is comprised of a blind styling cap for non-lockable versions of the vehicle door lock. 
     
     
       19. The actuating device according to  claim 1 , wherein the second stay is comprised of a first portion seated on the handle and a second portion seated on the flap, wherein the first and second parts of the second connecting point are complementary to one another and are integrated in ends of the first and second portions. 
     
     
       20. The actuating device according to  claim 19 , wherein the first portion of the second stay has a screw element and the second portion of the second stay has a screw element receiver configured to receive the screw element. 
     
     
       21. The actuating device according to  claim 20 , wherein the screw element is comprised of a stationary threaded bolt and a nut threadable thereon, wherein the screw element receiver is comprised of a slot having an opening at one end, wherein the opening of the slot is oriented in a direction of rotation of the handle. 
     
     
       22. The actuating device according to  claim 19 , wherein the first and second portions of the second stay have rotational stops delimiting a rotation of the handle between the angular position during insertion and the final fastening position. 
     
     
       23. The actuating device according to  claim 19 , wherein the first portion of the second stay has a catch projection and the second portion of the stay has a catch depression, wherein the catch depression and the catch projection together form a catch holder, wherein in the final fastening position of the handle, the catch projection and the catch depression are radially aligned with one another and snap into one another to provide a temporary fastening action of the handle on the flap. 
     
     
       24. The actuating device according to  claim 23 , wherein the hinged handle has a central arc portion with a concave arc side, facing the outer sheet metal of the vehicle door and providing a passage for a hand, and wherein the central arc portion is configured to be gripped all around by a hand like a pull handle.